dixon

IPA/dˈɪksən/
KK[dˈɪksən]IPA/dˈɪksən/

dixon — noun

1. An English surname, most famously borne by Jeremiah Dixon (1733–1779), who with

1.nounB2
Definition

An English surname, most famously borne by Jeremiah Dixon (1733–1779), who with Charles Mason surveyed the boundary known as the Mason–Dixon Line.

Example

The Mason–Dixon Line was named after Jeremiah Dixon and Charles Mason.

Mason–Dixon Line — the boundary surveyed by Dixon

History students studied how the Mason–Dixon Line divided the United States during the Civil War.

Common collocations
  • Mason–Dixon Line

Usage Note

Usually encountered in the compound phrase 'Mason–Dixon Line' rather than as a standalone reference. The surname is always capitalised.

Word family

  • Mason-Dixon Line
    nounB2

Etymology

EnglishMiddle EnglishGermanic

An English surname meaning 'son of Dick', where Dick is a medieval nickname for Richard. The name became historically prominent through Jeremiah Dixon, the 18th-century surveyor who co-created the Mason–Dixon Line.